Festival of Fools underway in Burlington

Friday marked the beginning of Burlington's Festival of Fools. Street performers from the region and from around the world are putting on their acts. Organizers expect 10,000 people per day to attend.

"Long live Burlington, and long live the Festival of Fools," declared Mayor Miro Weinberger during the opening ceremony.

The weekend will feature all kinds of street performances ranging from music to juggling -- not just juggling fire, also juggling knives -- while standing on another man's head.

One thing spectators say makes these performances even better is that nearly every act also involves comedy.

"And you get a chuckle, because so many people start laughing, and if you ain't laughing -- everybody starts laughing," said spectator Thomas Anderson. "That's the greatest part about it, having a good chuckle because that's what it's all about."

These performers are not being paid by the city and there are no tickets. There is no source of revenue for these performers except the generosity of the spectators. Organizers say that generosity has kept bringing world-class acts back to the streets of Burlington for six years now.

The event runs through Sunday. Organizers say there will be a grand finale involving all of the performers.